Mission Viejo church holding donation drive for needy children

2017-08-09 |
The Orange County Register

Aug. 09--MISSION VIEJO -- Mount of Olives Church is holding a donation drive, collecting school supplies and backpacks for children in need before the start of the school year toward the end of August.

The church, located near Mission Viejo High School, is holding the drive for the fifth consecutive year and is working with South Orange County Outreach to deliver the supplies to those in need.

"We're here to be servants and to serve our community," said John Steward, pastor at Mount of Olives Church. "We're always doing things like this...for families who are on hard times."

The church is holding the drive through Aug. 20. Steward said the church already has 100 backpacks filled with about $75 worth of supplies each for needy students.

Backpacks are filled with various supplies depending on grade levels. Packs for younger students include pencils, markers, pencil boxes, glue sticks, crayons and more, while high school students receive pencils, pens, rulers, colored dividers, scissors and highlighters among others.

For those interested in getting involved, visit the church's website, moochurch.org, or call 949-837-7467.

Earlier this year, the church invited residents to the campus to help assemble bicycles for needy families. The church also works with South Orange County Outreach to donate food year-round.

"Several members this year ran a half-marathon to bring drinking water to children in foreign countries," Steward said. "We're doing this all the time. That's the idea."

The City of Mission Viejo also recently held a donation drive for school supplies that ended Aug. 7. According to officials, that drive resulted in more than $3,000 in donations, which were taken to Family Assistance Ministries, a partner with the city that provides essential support services to the homeless, families in crisis and children experiencing food insecurity.